


a remedy to cure all ills

by kikuris



Category: Octopath Traveler (Video Game)
Genre: Friendship, M/M, Romance, attraction/infatuation should have been a status ailment in this game tbh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-28
Updated: 2018-08-28
Packaged: 2019-07-03 21:35:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15827403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kikuris/pseuds/kikuris
Summary: Inventing a cure for an unknown illness always came with varying degrees of risk. But when his best friend’s life is on the line, Alfyn has no choice but to face that gamble head on.He had expected unusual side effects but...had Zeph always been this clingy?





	a remedy to cure all ills

**Author's Note:**

> I originally drafted this fic to be about 4k in length. You can see how well that went.
> 
> Outside of the major NPCs (Zeph, Nina & Lily), I genuinely can't remember if the other residents of Clearbrook had names and/or their backstories. So I had to improvise a little and come up with some residents of my own to help move the plot forward so I hope you guys don't mind a few new characters~
> 
> Also, this fic has not been beta-read so I apologise for any mistakes!  
> Thanks for checking this fic out and I hope you enjoying reading about these two pining dorks~

To say his heart was racing would be an understatement. He could feel its erratic beating; hear the blood pulsing loudly in his ears. The girl in front of him was speaking, a notable hitch in her voice with each word she spoke, but he could barely hear her over the deafening pounding in his head.

The sudden adrenaline spike in his system he had received a mere few minutes earlier was beginning to make him lightheaded, but the energy it supplied pushed him forward.

Through some sliver of clarity, he managed to tightened his hold on the young girl’s hand that was currently holding his in what he could only describe as a death-grip. 

He found himself speaking before he could even process the words. “Listen, it’s gonna be alright.” His voice was light; it sounded distant to his own ears. “ _He’s_ gonna be alright. I promise.” Whether his words were supposed to be a comfort to Nina or to himself, he didn’t know.

Nina’s panic-stricken wails mellowed into soft weeping as she continued dragging the apothecary behind her and towards her home.

Out of the corner of his eye, Alfyn saw the other residents of the small town staring at the both of them from their doorsteps, a mixture of emotions visible upon their faces. He could only assume they had woken in response to Nina’s cries the same way he had. He couldn’t stop himself from wincing at their disheveled appearances and obvious irritation. No doubt he would be thrown a multitude of questions and accusations when morning came around.

Alfyn shook his head. He had more important things to be dealing with. They reached the young girl’s house and, ignoring the bewildered stares from the villagers, he quickly pushed open the door and rushed inside.

The sounds of pained gasps and strained breathing immediately reached his ears and his heart lurched painfully. With each ragged breath he heard being forced out, Alfyn could feel his own throat beginning to choke up with worry. Gripping his satchel tighter, he steeled himself and turned to face the source of the noise.

He instantly paled.

Agony was _radiating_ off of Zeph as he thrashed around on the bed, hands clutching the sheets like a lifeline. His brown hair was pinned to his forehead from his excessive sweating, and Alfyn could swear he could hear the sound of grinding teeth in between each violent cough.

Over his years as an apothecary, Alfyn had seen worse; he couldn’t deny that. Some cases had been so deadly that, even with both his and Zeph’s combined efforts, the patient hadn’t been able to survive the struggle. Incidents such as that never failed to leave scarring upon his heart, but he always forced himself to move forward and not give the pain a chance to overwhelm him.

But this was Zeph. And seeing his best friend like this was sending more panic throughout his body than any of those other past experiences.

In his daze, he barely registered Nina running past him to kneel at her brother’s bedside, her small hands moving to grasp Zeph’s tightly. 

“Zeph, I brought Alfyn!” She said, a ghost of smile tugging at her lips even as her tears continued to fall. “He’s gonna make you better, okay?”

If Zeph could hear her, he gave no indication of it. His thrashing and panting only seemed to be worsening.

Nina frowned and began shaking him. “Zeph, didn’t you hear me? Alfyn’s here, and...and he’s gonna…” Her voice was growing increasingly louder and her tears were falling faster. “Why won’t you answer me, Zeph? Zeph!”

Snapping out of his trance, Alfyn rushed forward and placed a comforting hand on the girl’s shoulder; pulling her away from the bed. “Nina, hey,” he said softly as he moved to kneel down beside her, watching as she began frantically wiping her eyes. “I’ll get him all patched up and then he’ll be back to the good ol’ happy-go-lucky Zeph you know and love.” He ruffled the girl’s hair and gave her a small smile. “Ya hear?”

Nina nodded, her cries turning into sniffles as she looked up at the apothecary. “Y-Yeah…”

Alfyn smiled before standing and turning to the matter at hand. The tight clench he felt in his stomach was immediate and his smile was wiped away in an instant. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he moved towards the bed and set his satchel down next to him. 

Cautiously, he placed a hand on Zeph’s forehead, and immediately winced at the severe heat. 

He felt a presence move up next to him. “Is...Is it bad?”

Alfyn pondered his reply for a moment. “It’s...nothing I can’t fix.” He glanced at Nina and visibly relaxed when he saw the tension leave the girl’s shoulders. He made to move his hand away but a sudden ice-cold weight upon it stopped him. He jostled, and glanced down; surprise immediately framing his features. “Zeph?”

Nina sprang forward, placing her hands on the bed to lean in further. “Brother?!”

Zeph only gave a weak groan in reply before another coughing fit arose and overcame him.

Alfyn’s gaze softened as he gently removed Zeph’s hand from atop his own. “Hang in there, buddy. I’ll get you feeling fitter than a fiddle in no time,” he said, carefully positioning Zeph’s hand back on the mattress. The darker haired man immediately tightened his fist around the sheets. 

After taking a moment to breathe and calm his nerves, Alfyn knelt down and set to work; a curious Nina peeking over his shoulder the whole time.

“Alright, we’re running a high temperature, severe coughing and laboured breathing.” Alfyn frowned, giving Zeph another once over. “Thankfully, there’s no sign of any kind of rash or swelling...”

Nina swallowed. “So...y-you know what it is?”

Alfyn stood, grimacing. “Yeah. A few days back, Zeph and I overheard a couple of travelers talkin’ about some kind of pollen that’s been affecting the bordering towns,” he explained and turned, picking up his satchel before beginning to dig through it. “Must be from that strange looking flower I’ve seen near the rivers and lakes recently.”

Nina glanced at her brother, hands clasping together tightly. “And...you think Zeph has it?” She moved forward and grasped the sleeve of Alfyn’s shirt, looking up at him with pleading eyes. “Can you fix it? Please say you can fix it!”

Alfyn paused in his movements to give the girl a reassuring look. “Yeah, I think so.” 

Satisfied with the answer, Nina smiled and released the fabric. 

He quickly turned back to the task at hand. “I just…need to...” After a few more moments of rummaging, he sighed in frustration. “Dammit, where did I put it?”

Nina cocked her head. “Do you need some help?”

The apothecary stood and began scanning the room - cupboards, drawers, wardrobe. _Where would he keep it?_ His eyes fell on Nina’s small messenger bag and it clicked. _His satchel! Where the hell was his satchel?_ A mad dash around the small room, followed by a thorough search of the various furnishings, proved fruitless. 

There was a hand on his arm; a touch so feather-light he almost didn’t feel it, and he stopped. Looking down, his own stare was met with Nina’s puzzled one.

Alfyn silently berated himself for his lack of rational thinking.

He paused, letting the tension release from his body. He bent down and placed both his hands on Nina’s shoulders. “Nina, do you have any idea where Zeph keeps his satchel? Y’know, the one he fills with all those weird looking bottles and herbs all the time?”

Nina beamed, moving out of his grasp in order to make a beeline towards the bed Zeph lay upon. Deftly, she knelt down and reached under the bed, her face scrunching up in concentration. After a few beats of silence - which for Alfyn, felt more like an eternity - her expression turned triumphant. She stood, grasping Zeph’s satchel in her hand before presenting it to Alfyn with a flourish and a cheerful, “Ta-da!”

_The bed. Of course._

Alfyn sighed, reaching out to accept the bag with one hand while the other ruffled Nina’s hair affectionately. “Good job, Nina,” he praised before opening the satchel and rummaging through it. 

Finding the scrap of paper had proven easy enough considering how well organised Zeph kept his satchel. He quickly fished it from the small pocket within the bag and began unfolding it. Setting the satchel down, he moved towards the small desk in the corner of the room and lay the paper out flat. “Okay,” he breathed, “let’s see what we’ve got here.”

A hard knock on the door interrupted his thoughts before he could finish reading the first sentence. 

“I’ll get it!” Nina said, rushing over to the door and opening it. “Oh, Mr. Rickter!”

Alfyn turned around. “Old man Rickter?”

The surprise must have shown in his face as the older man was sending him an amused glance. “The one and only. No need to act so surprised, my boy.” He moved further into the house as Nina slowly shut the door behind him. “I came to see what all the ruckus was about-” His eyes landed on Zeph. “Oh.”

Nina was by her brother’s bedside almost immediately. “H-He won’t wake up,” she explained, the quiver in her voice returning. “So I brought Alfyn, to...to see if he could help.”

“I see.” The older man’s eyes suddenly turned sharp and bore into Alfyn. “You know how to cure him, yes?”

Thanks to his status as an ex-knight, the old man was never one to dawdle on formalities, opting to get straight to a point instead of partaking in, what he called, ‘mindless chatter’. This resulted in his words coming out rather blunt and harsh most of the time, even if it was unintentional. 

Despite knowing this, Alfyn couldn’t help but feel slightly scrutinised under his gaze and sharp tone. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other nervously. “I’m...working on it.”

Rickter’s carefree smile was back almost instantly; as if it never left. “Good. Anything this old man can help with?”

Alfyn shook his head, turning his back and scanning the paper again. “Nah, don’t want to keep you awake,” he said, offering a nonchalant wave of his hand as his eyes continued to move down the list of ingredients both Zeph and himself had theorised would act as a cure. He was stocked up on most of the items, and his lack of noxroot was easily solved with a quick sieve through Zeph’s satchel. 

But that flower…

The apothecary frowned. Would he even have enough time to search for it? 

His eyes flickered over to Zeph; watched as the man shivered and writhed, listened as his breathing shuddered and hitched. Alfyn grasped at the edge of the wooden desk until his knuckles turned white.

He would just have to make time.

“Old man Rickter.”

The man in question paused in his conversation with Nina to give his full attention to the apothecary. “Yeah?”

Alfyn turned and braced himself against the desk. “That offer for help still stands, right?”

Rickter’s gaze turned serious. “What do you need me to do, son?”

Alfyn moved forward, holding the paper in his hand. “There’s something I need you to get. A flower.” He handed the scrap of paper to the man, pointing to a small, rather disastrous, drawing he had scribbled. “It looks like this but pink in colour. It grows near the riverbanks and lakesides outside of town.”

The older man raised a brow at the drawing but didn’t comment on it. “Sounds easy enough,” he spoke, handing the paper back.

Alfyn’s eyes fell to the man’s gloved hands. “Make sure you don’t touch the petals, alright? Pick it up by its stem,” he explained. “That pollen touches you and you’re gonna end up just like Zeph.” He picked up his own satchel and took out a small glass jar, holding it out to the other man. “Just to be safe, put it in this.”

The man accepted the jar with a brief nod. “Alright. I’ll be back before you know it.” 

Alfyn smiled. “Thank you.”

Rickter simply nodded in reply, and after a quick farewell, walked out of the small house.

One problem down.

Picking up both satchels with one hand, Alfyn began clearing the desk with the other and made to set up his workspace. Nina assisted in transferring everything over to a different counter in the small room before she moved back to her brother’s side at Alfyn’s request; just in case Zeph’s condition worsened in any way.

With everything prepared in front of him, and the high stakes ever present at the back of his mind, he set to work.

* * *

It was nearing daybreak by the time the medicine had been brewed and administered. After which, they had all been forced to play the waiting game until Zeph regained consciousness. Thankfully, Alfyn’s fatigue and exhaustion had overpowered his nervous energy, and he retired soon after the wait began; immediately falling into a much needed dreamless sleep.

That didn’t stop Nina from barging into his house and shaking him awake as soon as Zeph was conscious. Alfyn wasn’t complaining, of course, as he jumped out of bed and rushed over after taking a brief moment to fix up his disheveled appearance.

And as promised, the darker haired apothecary was sitting up in bed, reading what looked to be one of his older phytotherapy journals. And upon seeing him bright, healthy, and _alive_ , Alfyn couldn’t help but give a sigh of relief.

Hearing the door click shut, Zeph looked up. “Oh, Nina, you’re back,” he greeted, giving his sister a small smile. “Did you get what you needed-oof!”

His sentence was cut off as Nina tackled him in a tight hug, effectively knocking the book from his hands. Alfyn chuckled as he moved further into the room to retrieve the journal from where it lay on the wooden floor.

Zeph gave his own weak laugh as he patted the girl’s back. “Alright, alright. That’s enough of that,” he said, pushing her back. Upon seeing trails of tears rolling down her face he frowned, concerned. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

Nina shook her head, wiping her face furiously. “I...I was worried you wouldn’t be awake when I got back…”

Her brother sighed, knocking her on the side of the head. “You were only gone for five minutes, you dummy.” 

The girl pouted and shimmed off of the bed to stand next to Alfyn; who was still grinning at the amusing display.

Clearing his throat, he gave Zeph a warm smile and held the book out to him. “Good to have you back with us, buddy.”

His smile quickly dimmed as he watched Zeph’s eyes go wide and mouth become slightly agape. He slowly lowered the book, giving the other boy a once over; searching for any possible signs of his illness returning. Upon seeing no physical cause for alarm, his body seized up with concern and panic. Was this some kind of side effect of the medicine? “Uh, Zeph?” He spoke, his tone low and hesitant. “You okay?”

A sudden weight around his neck pulling him down was not the answer he had been expecting. 

Ignoring the undignified sound that left his throat in surprise, he quickly shifted to balance himself by propping his knee up on the edge of the mattress and using one of his hands to hold his weight against the bed. His other hand simply hovered in the air beside him, unsure of what to do with it as he remained trapped in this rather uncomfortable hug.

Zeph didn’t seem to mind as he continued to pull the other apothecary closer. 

Unfortunately, this meant tightening his grip around Alfyn’s neck until the lighter haired apothecary couldn’t handle the strain anymore and was forced to tap out. Pulling back, he detached Zeph’s hands and returned to his full height, wincing when his neck cracked as it returned to form. 

The other man refused to let go of Alfyn’s hands however, even when their owner had tried to return them to his side. Alfyn knew the confusion was evident in his expression but Zeph seemed completely oblivious to it as he stared up at him with a warm smile and tender gaze.

Alfyn’s mind stopped functioning for a brief moment. “Uh…”

Zeph grinned, tugging on his hands lightly. “Alf! You saved me, didn’t you?”

“Um, I sure did,” Alfyn answered, not bothering to mask his uncertainty. “Zeph, are you sure you’re feeling okay?” He placed the back of his hand on his friend’s forehead. “You’re still running a slight fever…”

In response, the other man’s grin grew wider. “I knew it! I knew I could depend on you, Alf.” He moved from under the thin blanket and shuffled so that he was kneeling on it. He cupped Alfyn’s hands in both his own. “You’ve never let me down. Not once.”

The deflection of his previous question was apparent, but Alfyn couldn’t help but feel flattered at the praise. A slight smile was tugging at his lips, even if the odd twinkle in Zeph’s eyes was giving him a feeling of unease. “I, uh…”

There was a muffled giggle from beside him. He turned and saw Nina staring up at him, mouth hidden by her hand. He gave her a half-hearted glare, which unfortunately made her laugh harder. Alfyn frowned, turning back to Zeph and slowly detaching the boy’s hands from his own. He did his best to ignore his friend’s crestfallen look as he took a step back.

“Anyway, if you’re feeling better, I’ll head out. You need your rest after all,” he spoke slowly, gauging Zeph’s reaction. “If you need me-”

Alarm was the first expression to cross the other man’s face. “What? You’re leaving?” His tone was desperate as he scrambled to sit up straight. 

Alfyn and Nina shared a worried look before the former reached forward to place a reassuring hand on the man’s shoulder. His eyes met Zeph’s, and _gods, could he stop looking at him like a kicked puppy._ “Yeah, I gotta restock on supplies, and see that everyone else is doing alright,” he explained, reaching down to collect his satchel and throw it over his shoulder. “Besides, Nina’ll come running if you need anything.” He inclined his head to face the girl. “Right, Nina?”

She nodded. “Right!”

Zeph hummed and lowered his gaze, still frowning. “You’ll come visit though, right?” He asked, and his voice sounded so small and broken, so uncharacteristically _unlike Zeph_ , that Alfyn’s grasp on his shoulder instinctively tightened.

“Of course,” he said, his tone so soft that he surprised himself. That surprise quickly shifted into palpable relief as he watched Zeph’s expression brighten; his eyes shining, a warm smile-

All his of thoughts and emotions came to a screeching halt when Zeph affectionately nuzzled into his hand. 

A red flush was already travelling up his neck and face before he could even properly process his embarrassment, and _flame help him, it was scorching._ He could only stare down at Zeph in bewilderment until, after what felt like the longest few seconds of Alfyn’s life, his mind finally, _finally_ , registered the situation and began supplying him with a hundred different questions at once - none of which were the slight bit helpful. 

Trying to move his hand away was proving ineffective considering his muscles had taken to falling into a state of paralysis; completely frozen like the rest of his body, no matter how much he willed it to move.

He cleared his throat, trying to remove the choked up feeling within it. “Um Zeph, l-listen, I really gotta get going.” He winced at his wavering voice. “So if you could… uh...move.”

Zeph stared at him for a moment, his gaze unreadable, before sighing and doing as instructed. Alfyn immediately retracted his hand; staring at it with slight awe before stuffing it away into his coat pocket. He didn’t even catch Nina’s expression as he gave a curt farewell to the siblings and made a hasty retreat.

Once outside, he leaned against the wall of the house and buried his face in his hands.

_What the hell was that?_

* * *

He didn’t have time to dwell on the situation with Zeph for long as the other villagers had quickly began pulling him aside with their questions and queries about last night’s events soon after. He simply chalked Zeph’s odd behaviour down to the fever and supplied Nina with the apt medication before being called away by a panicked mother requesting aid for her son.

Even though it had only been a simple case of mild food poisoning, the young boy’s body had rejected the given remedy almost immediately - forcing Alfyn to concoct some kind of alternative. It was nearing mid evening by the time he left the residence; and that meant the general store would soon be closing for the day, and he still had to restock on supplies. On top of that, he hadn’t even had the time to give Zeph that visit he promised.

He scrubbed a hand over his eyes. _One thing at a time._

The trip to the general store was pretty uneventful. A couple of merchants packing up for the day, a group of rebellious kids ignoring the shouts of their parents to come home, a few fishermen trying to collect their last minute catches - nothing unusual; giving Alfyn the time to reflect back on the morning’s earlier events. 

He hadn’t spoken to Nina since giving her the tincture for Zeph. In fact, he had only seen her once when he had briefly left his patient’s home to collect fresh water from the stream. She had been playing with Lily and only had time to give him a fleeting wave before being pulled away by the other girl towards the docks. Even so, a feeling of relief had ran through him at that moment. Seeing Nina so carefree and cheerful meant Zeph’s recovery had been successful. Knowing the girl, if even the slightest thing had seemed wrong with her brother, she wouldn’t have left his side for a second.

He wondered if that meant Zeph’s odd behaviour from earlier had also disappeared. 

Reaching the shop front, he noticed the warm light of a flame shining through the window. He smiled - that was one worry quelled.

After pushing the heavy door open, he walked inside, and was instantly greeted with the shocked expression of the shopkeeper’s face. “Tess,” he said, nodding his head in greeting.

“Oh, Alfyn!” She turned in her seat to face him properly. “Awful late today, ain’t ya?”

The apothecary rubbed the back of his neck bashfully as he moved up to the counter. “Yeah well, it’s been a busy day,” He explained as he began bundling his usual purchases together; mentally checking them off in his head as he went along.

Tess hummed. “Old Man Rickter stopped by earlier - told me what happened with Zeph.” She stood, reaching down below the counter to collect her leaf jar and set it on the wooden bench. “He alright now?”

Just as Alfyn was about to reply, as if on cue, the familiar sound of the front door creaking open followed by the chime of the bell interrupted him. No more than a second later, a strong weight crashed into his back and a tight pressure clamped around his middle. Unable to catch his footing in time, he stumbled forward into the counter, wincing when his elbow connected with the wooden surface.

He watched as some of the herbs he had bundled slipped onto the floor before his eyes shifted to the jar that was now rocking precariously on the edge of the counter. On reflex, he reached out and steadied it with the one hand that wasn’t currently being pinned to his side. While doing so, his gaze fell upon Tess who was staring behind him with a mixture of shock and amusement. 

A sudden weight on his shoulder, followed by tresses of brown hair appearing in his peripheral, confirmed his suspicions. 

“Zeph? What’re ya doin’ up and about?” Tess asked, voicing Alfyn’s thoughts word for word.

The man in question gave her a bright smile. “Heya Tess,” he greeted, shifting his head into a more comfortable position from where it rested on Alfyn’s shoulder. “I came to see Alf, of course!”

Tess gave him a incredulous look. “O-Of course...but aren’t ya supposed to be, y’know, resting?”

Zeph shook his head and Alfyn could feel the strands of hair tickle his face. “Not at all. I feel better than ever!” He leaned into Alfyn, pulling his body even closer. “And it’s all thanks to Alf.”

Alfyn was vaguely aware of Tess’ bewildered gaze shifting over to him but his mind was spinning so rapidly and he had to take a brief moment to compose his thoughts. The increasing pressure around his abdomen was getting far too painful to ignore however, and he gently but frantically tapped Zeph’s hands. “Um, Zeph. A little bit too tight, buddy.”

“Oh.” Zeph loosened his grip, tilting his head back to send Alfyn an apologetic grin. “Sorry.”

After gaining some breathing room, Alfyn inclined his head in an attempt to face the other man. “Where’s Nina? Shouldn’t she be with you?” He questioned, turning slightly in Zeph’s hold since his neck was beginning to ache from its awkward positioning.

The other man shook his head. “Nah, she’s still finishing her supper.”

Alfyn raised a brow at that. “And she thought you were well enough to leave on your own?” He asked, not bothering to hide the slight accusatory tone in his voice. When all he got was a simple nod in reply, he sighed and tested it for himself - placing the back of his hand against Zeph’s forehead and-

It was normal. There was no heat. No _fever._

He slowly withdrew his hand, his stare never leaving Zeph’s face. If the fever wasn’t make him act like this - _then what was?_

Zeph unwrapped his arms from around Alfyn to grasp at his hands instead. “I should be the one asking if you’re okay, Alf.” He frowned and began to swing their joined hands back and forth. “You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.”

“I’m fine,” Alfyn breathed, slightly dazed. 

Zeph beamed. “Great! Hurry and buy your stuff so we can go!”

Alfyn snapped out of his astonished state to give the other man a confused look. “Go? Go where?” 

Zeph just pushed him back towards the counter in reply, spinning him back around to face Tess. “You’ll see. Just get a move on.”

Alfyn shared a bewildered look with the girl who hastily began bundling his purchases together after retrieving them from where the fell on the floor. He didn’t miss the slight smile she was attempting to stifle all the while.

After depositing the sufficient number of leaves in the jar and placing the newly acquired herbs in his satchel, he was swifty being dragged away by Zeph towards the door.

When he glanced back, Tess’ smile had grown wider. “Have fun, boys!” She called after them, giving them a small wave.

Alfyn briefly heard Zeph give a farewell of his own to the girl before he was pulled out of the shop and towards the town’s exit. He frowned but let himself be pulled along regardless. He didn’t have his axe on hand but the surrounding areas outside of town were usually low on monster activity this late in the day - minus the few wolves that hunted here and there that could be easily scared off with a few well-placed ice spells.

He was being led down an unfamiliar dirt path when he finally decided to voice his queries, since being alone with his thoughts for so long was slowly becoming unbearable. Gently, he tugged on Zeph’s hand to get his attention before he began to slow his pace.

Zeph turned around to fix him with a curious look as they came to a gradual halt. “What’s wrong?”

Alfyn stared down at their joined hands, watching Zeph’s thumb as it moved over his knuckles in an attempt to comfort him. He felt himself smiling before he could stop it; but it was fleeting, immediately replaced with a frown when he reminded himself that _this_ was the problem in the first place - this affection, this fondness, this-

“Zeph, answer me honestly, okay?”

The darker haired man frowned but nodded all the same.

“Are you sure you’ll feeling alright?”

Zeph cocked his head. “I already told you, Alf. I’m fine-”

Alfyn shook his head. “No, I mean...” His gaze slowly travelled upwards until it met Zeph’s. He paused, reconsidering his next choice of words. “You just haven’t been acting like yourself lately.”

Zeph continued to stare at him with confusion. “I haven’t?”

Alfyn sighed. This was getting him no closer to figuring out the cause of Zeph’s sudden personality shift. “Okay, answer me this. Why are you acting so…” He waved a hand as he tried to find an appropriate word. “...affectionate towards me?” He visibly winced at how blunt his words sounded the instant they left his mouth. Zeph wasn’t one to take things personally, but he didn’t want to test the extent of that magnanimity anytime soon. 

But Zeph just smiled - and it was so warm, so genuine. “Oh, come on Alf - that’s an easy one.” The words were said so nonchalantly; so easily, that Alfyn’s curiosity couldn’t help but get the better of him.

“It’s because I love you.”

In that instant, for Alfyn, everything around him turned to white noise. The rustling of the leaves, the howls of the wolves; everything. He was vaguely aware of Zeph speaking. A comforting hand was resting against his arm and concerned eyes were scanning over his face. 

But it all felt like a blur.

Zeph had taken his hand again; pulling him forward, and he let himself be led. He wasn’t aware of their surroundings, or their destination - he just saw the man in front of him and heard his words playing like a broken record in his head. His emotions felt like a jumbled mess, and his mind felt hazy as a result. He wasn’t sure exactly _what_ he was feeling.

But whatever it was felt warm, and strong. And as sappy as it sounded; his heart felt light despite its frantic beating.

He hadn’t even noticed they had stopped walking until Zeph was shaking him; snapping him away from his thoughts. “Huh? What?” His voice was barely above a whisper and he quickly cleared his throat. “Where are we?” He asked, taking a moment to look around and view his surroundings.

Surprisingly, he wasn’t familiar with the area, even though both Zeph and himself had charted most of the surrounding grassland over the years. A small clearing lay in front of him, with various species of flowers teeming with fireflies decorating its edges. The crashing of waves was the first sound to reach him and his eyes instinctively moved towards the source to meet the edge of a cliffside. 

Alfyn had always been one to appreciate the nature surrounding him, even if he never voiced such admirations publically, and this sight was no exception.

“Nina told me about this place,” Zeph’s voice spoke up from beside him. “Apparently Lily and her come her often to play or pick the flowers.” He suddenly grimaced, his eyes shifting over to stare at the cliffedge. “Although, if I had known they were playing so close to a cliff I would’ve had a few things to say about it.”

Alfyn chuckled, nudging his friend’s arm with his elbow. “Aw, let them have their fun. They’re smart kids. Even if your sister is a bit of a risk-taker.”

Zeph rolled his eyes, smiling. “That’s putting it lightly.” He moved closer to Alfyn and linked the apothecary's arm with his own, guiding him towards the cliff. “C’mon.”

They settled themselves down on the grass, letting their legs hang off the cliffedge. The water below had calmed into a gentle current as it continued to splash up against the rocks.

“So,” Alfyn drawled, turning to face the other man, watching as he began digging through his own bag. “Any reason you brought me up here?”

Zeph shot him a small smile before turning his attention back to what he was doing. “I just thought you could use a break. Y’know, some time to relax.” He grinned, pulling something wrapped in cloth from his bag. “Besides, I just wanted to spend some time with you, and thank you properly for saving me.” He held the item in his hands out to Alfyn. “So..thanks Alf.”

Fighting off a blush, Alfyn waved a dismissive hand but took the present regardless. The moment he began unwrapping the cloth, a familiar smell hit him almost immediately and his eyes widened. When he looked up, Zeph was sending him a knowing look and his mouth dropped open even further. “You didn’t-”

Unwrapping the cloth further revealed his suspicions. Sitting on his lap was one of his favourite desserts; one he hadn’t had in _months._

“You like it?” Zeph’s voice chimed in. “I spent all afternoon making that, and let me tell you, I have a greater respect for bakers as a result.” 

Alfyn stared down at the dessert. 

_Mixed Berry Pie._

Over the years, he had only had it a handful of times since the local harvests couldn’t provide the adequate ingredients to make it in bulk. Awe didn’t even begin to cover his astonishment - it felt too good to be true.

Beside him, Zeph was grinning. “I’m gonna go out on a limb and say your stunned silence is a good thing.” He shimmed so he was shoulder to shoulder with Alfyn. “So, you gonna eat up or what?”

Alfyn nodded, maybe a bit too enthusiastically considering Zeph’s chuckle, and broke the soft pastry in half; holding a piece out to the other man. He rolled his eyes at Zeph’s shake of the head and forced it into his hands. “You made it. It’s only fair you get to try it too.”

Zeph’s gaze softened and he leaned into Alfyn, resting his head on the apothecary's shoulder. “You’re so kind, Alf.” His eyes shifted upward to gaze at Alfyn. “I’ve always liked that about you.”

Alfyn’s face was aflame in a matter of seconds. He nervously fiddled with the dessert in his hand as he gave a sidewards glance towards Zeph. 

It was only then did he see it - the strange pink colour outlining Zeph’s irises; and it _clicked._

He wanted to laugh at himself for not making the connection earlier. The signs had been right in front of him the whole time and he had completely missed them. _Ignored them_ , a small part of his brain corrected, but he frowned and shook that thought away as quickly as it had came. 

It was a strange phenomenon that both Zeph and himself had come across a while back, which they had appropriately dubbed _‘infatuation’_ for obvious reasons. They had soon learned that no cure was required - only patience; as its effects lasted for no longer than twenty-four hours. Its origin was still unknown however. Some said they had fell under its spell after coming into contact with certain monsters, while others said they had only felt strange after eating certain foods. Needless to say, even after many nights of endless research, both apothecaries hadn’t made any headway in discovering more about the mysterious ailment.

At least now Alfyn had a lead for one of its sources.

Still, he couldn’t help but feel a slight sting alongside the revelation. And that ‘slight sting’ rested in his heart like a glacier for the rest of the evening until they retired for the day soon after sunset. 

All of Zeph’s actions and words had been induced and instigated outwith his control. They were falsities, nothing more. And that was okay - it meant Zeph would be back to his usual self when morning came and things would return to normality.

Alfyn closed his eyes. He thought back to Zeph’s confession.

His heart was aching; it felt heavy.

But... _it was okay._

* * *

The next morning, he woke up feeling extremely groggy and ended up sleeping in for longer than he intended. It was only when he got a knock on his door from a concerned Nina did he finally jump out of bed and start his daily routine.

Only a few house calls later did Alfyn decide to stop delaying the inevitable. 

Nina beamed as she opened the door and pulled him inside the house. “Zeph has a really bad headache,” she explained as she shut the door behind him. “I gave him some medicine but it hasn’t went away yet.”

Alfyn gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “He’ll be alright.”

The girl smiled, nodding. “Mm-hm! And if he isn’t, you’ll be here to take care of him, right?”

Ignoring the slight tug of his heart, he made sure his smile didn’t falter as he answered. “Right.”

There was a groan, closely followed by the sound of springs squeaking. “Alf? Is that you?”

After taking a moment to steel himself, Alfyn turned and gave a small salute in greeting. “Yeah, it’s me.” He pulled a stool out from under the desk and sat next to the bed. “How’re you feeling?”

Zeph just shook his head, face covered by his hands. “Like someone just knocked me over the back of the head with a shovel.” He dropped his hands, sighing. His eyes looked heavy; like he hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep. “Gods, the ringing hasn’t stopped all morning.”

Alfyn shot him a sympathetic gaze. “Give it some time - it’ll go eventually.”

The other man just quietly whined in response, bringing his knees up and burying his head in his arms. Alfyn only hesitated momentarily before placing a comforting hand on the man’s back. Either Zeph didn’t feel anything or was purposely ignoring it as he didn’t react to the touch - Alfyn wasn’t sure which reaction he preferred.

There was a rustling sound from beside them and both men turned their heads towards the source. Nina stared back at them, shrugging on her waistcoat before leaning down to buckle her shoes.

Zeph’s brow furrowed. “Where are you going?”

Nina returned to her full height and motioned to the front door. “Lily’s mum is taking us to the fruit fields to pick some berries.” She smirked. “Since _somebody_ used them all up yesterday.”

Her brother just groaned in reply, sending her an unimpressed look. His face was rapidly turning a bright shade of red and Alfyn forced himself to stifle a laugh. Nina didn’t even bother to try and erupted in a fit of giggles. Zeph scowled, hiding his face in his arms again. “Just go,” he said, waving his hand in the direction of the door. “Make sure you’re back in time for dinner.”

“Okey-dokey~” Nina sang, making her way over to the door. She picked up her wicker basket, slinging it over her arm before turning to wave to Alfyn. “Bye Alfyn. Make sure to look after my brother, okay?”

Alfyn smiled, giving his own small wave in reply. “Leave it to me.” He watched as the younger girl gave him one last grin before heading out. His gaze slipped back to Zeph who still hadn’t moved from his previous position and he sighed, his smile turning exasperated. He gently nudged the man in the arm and received a quiet huff in reply. “C’mon Zeph,” he softly chastised. “She’s just teasing. I thought you’d be used to it by now.”

Zeph gave a breathy chuckle. “I am,” he answered, raising his head but keeping his gaze lowered. “Doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

Alfyn made a noise of agreement and then they both fell silent. The silence was comfortable at first, but the glaring elephant in the room quickly made itself apparent and the air around them soon turned heavy. Neither of them tried to speak. Zeph suddenly seemed interested in the bedsheets while Alfyn distracted himself with a stray thread protruding from the cushion he sat upon; twisting his finger around it. 

“Listen Zeph,” Alfyn began when the thread snapped; both physically and metaphorically. “You don’t need to feel embarrassed about yesterday. It wasn’t really you. You weren’t in control of what you were doing.” Despite his heavy heart, he continued. “So let’s just...move on from it, alright?” He forced a smile. “Water under the bridge and all that.”

Zeph didn’t reply and he wouldn’t meet Alfyn’s eyes. The only indication he got that Zeph had heard him was the slight inward curve of the other man’s shoulders as he spoke. Alfyn bit his lip nervously. 

Those nerves quickly turned to panic. He had said something wrong, hadn’t he. “Zeph?” He asked cautiously, leaning forward to try and gauge the other’s reaction. Zeph’s face gave nothing away as he continued to stare down at his lap, and Alfyn’s worry spiked. He opened his mouth, ready to retract his previous words when Zeph spoke.

“Listen, Alf, I just…about yesterday...” His voice trailed into a whisper so he cleared his throat to try again - only to stumble over his words. He huffed in aggravation and leaned back, thumping the back of his head against the headboard and running a hand down his face. “Why is this so hard?”

Even if the question wasn’t rhetorical, Alfyn was too busy holding his breath in anticipation to give an answer.

After a few deep breaths of his own, Zeph straightened his posture. “Okay, I’m just gonna say it,” he decided, before pausing and closing his eyes. “And if you want to ignore it and pretend I never said anything, that’s fine.” 

Zeph looked straight at him and Alfyn’s anxiety soared through the roof.

“What I said yesterday, I meant it.” Almost immediately after those words left his mouth, Zeph flushed and ducked his head. “Even if I was a bit too...forward about it. But you can, y’know, blame the whole ‘infatuation’ thing for that.” He gave a nervous chuckle, his eyes flicking to Alfyn for a moment. The other apothecary stared back, stunned, and Zeph’s flush deepened. “But, I meant it - every word.”

Alfyn’s head had been spinning so much the past twenty-four hours, he was surprised that _he_ wasn’t the one with the overbearing headache. And now Zeph was staring at him; expectant. His mind was drawing a blank but he had to say _something._

“Are you sure?” _Nice one, Alfyn._

Zeph stared back at him, disbelief written all over his face. “What do you mean ‘am I sure?’ Of course I’m sure!” He answered, his bewilderment notable in his tone. There was another breathy chuckle, but this time it sounded almost hysterical. “Actually, y’know what, forget this conversation ever happened. We’ll do what you suggested; move on, forget it happened.” His smile dimmed. “As you said, it’ll just be ‘water under the-”

Before he could even register what he was doing, Alfyn was moving forward and enveloping the man in his arms; accidently pulling him too far forward, leaving him hanging on the edge of the bed. He heard Zeph’s surprised shout, followed by the feeling of arms wrapping around his shoulders in a frantic attempt not to fall. Alfyn could feel the laughter bubbling in his throat - a result of both the amusement and relief currently overpowering every one of his senses.

Zeph’s knuckles hit against the back of his head as the man’s arms slowly moved up into a more comfortable position to rest around his neck. He leaned back and the disbelieving look was back. “Why are you laughing?” Zeph asked.

Alfyn couldn’t find his voice, even as his laughter settled into quiet chuckles. All he could do was shake his head before letting it fall forward to rest on Zeph’s shoulder. Startled, the other man made a soft sound, momentarily freezing in place before shifting so that Alfyn’s neck wasn’t craning at an awkward angle. 

Slowly, Alfyn’s laughter subdued, leaving a content smile behind in its place. “Hey Zeph,” he spoke, his voice low and soft.

“Hm?”

Alfyn grinned, pulling back so that Zeph’s forehead was resting against his own. “I love you too.”

The smile that broke out on Zeph’s face was blinding. The corners of his eyes crinkled with the sheer width of it and he was looking at Alfyn like he had personally hung the stars in the sky.

_Yeah,_ Alfyn thought; laughing, as he was pulled into another hug. 

_Everything was okay._

**Author's Note:**

> I originally had an extra scene drafted to add onto the ending but I left it out since I didn't want to drag it on for too long. Plus, I think this ending works well on its own.
> 
> Anyways, thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed~  
> As always, any kudos or comments are always appreciated <3


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